Monetary transactions, such as on-line purchases of goods or services, often involve a certain level of risk because it is often difficult to determine whether a payment mechanism (such as a payment via a credit card or a transfer of funds from a bank account) has been authorized by the appropriate individual. For example, for on-line purchases made via a credit card, because the merchant is typically not able to see the credit card being used to make the purchase or the individual conducting the transaction, it may be difficult to determine whether the transaction is being made properly by the cardholder, or improperly by another individual who is in possession of the cardholder's account information. Accordingly, there is a need for improved systems and processes for facilitating safe financial transactions (e.g., via the Internet).